Tag: Autism

According to a research published by the University of Haifa in Northern Israel, fertility treatments may increase the risk of autism in children.

The study, which also accommodated researchers from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, included 108,548 boys, as boys were reported to have a higher risk of developing autism than girls.

According to Xinhua News Agency, in the case of progesterone hormone therapy, it was found that the odds of having a child on the autistic spectrum were 1.5 times higher than those who did not undergo fertility treatments.

“Progesterone is an embryonic steroid hormone needed for brain development and there is a hypothesis that it activates a genetic mechanism for the development of autism. In recent years, scientists have tried to identify the environmental factors that influence the development of autism and one of the directions that have not been thoroughly tested is the effect of fertility treatments,” the agency said.

Copyright PUNCH.

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode has reiterated his administration’s resolve to continue supporting children with special needs.

The governor who was represented by his Special Adviser on Social Development, Mrs Joyce Onafowokan, at the eighth Annual Autism Awareness Conference organized by GT Bank, said the current administration in Lagos State was dedicated to ensuring that amenities were provided to bridge the gap and provide support to the families of those with autism.

“With organisations like GTBank rising to the challenge to provide human support services, the future is indeed, bright. We do not take this investment for granted and see this effort as the height of Corporate Social Responsibility. This effort is a functional allowance through which our society can bring out the best quality of service to people living with disabilities across the state,” he said.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, ‘Raising a child with autism: the role of family and the community’, the MD/CEO, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Mr Segun Agbaje, said the theme of this year’s conference could not be more apt, as it guided the conversation on how to build the expertise, resources, and skills required for the effective management of autism.

“More importantly, this theme would serve as a constant reminder to all of us, that children living with autism were, ultimately, children. Like every other kid, they have big dreams, amazing talents and incredible potential to contribute to our society. They are just as much the leaders of tomorrow, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that they reach their full potentials,” he noted.

A psychiatrist, Dr Maymunah Kadiri, who spoke on the “Role of mental health in the community”, said, “Your illness doesn’t define you, your strength and courage does. The call for community mental services is especially timely. In spite of a clear message from the WHO in 2011, only a few countries have made adequate progress in this area.”

Kadiri, therefore, called for collective support for children with autism.

Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

A behaviour analyst, Mrs Dotun Akande, has advised parents of children with autism to teach them sex education and relationship development to equip them against sexual molestation.

Akande, the Founder, Patrick Speech and Languages Centre, Lagos, said, “Teaching them from an early age is very important in order for them to differentiate between male and female.

“Teaching them values especially, moral values and preferences are very important to make them express their wants and feelings,” she said.

Akande said that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder were usually not good at expressing their needs, especially when in problems.

An online publication, autismspeaks.org/ defines Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, as “a range of conditions characterised by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and non-verbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences.

Akande said, “Sex education is a topic that is usually seen as a taboo; this is because, in this part of the world, parents do not discuss it freely.

“Many families with typical children find it difficult to teach them the basics of sexuality, not to talk of families dealing with children with special needs.’’

She said that teaching them sex education would make them sense when they were in danger and when to scream for help.

“In most cases, teaching them how to attack anybody who wants to molest, touch inappropriate places or harass them will really help them.

“Teenage autism boys will have many uncontrolled experiences of sexual excitement which can lead to embarrassment.

“In such situations, parents or teachers should help them in appropriate ways to deal with his or her sexual feelings.

“It can be by pouring a bucket of cold water on the child, engaging them in sports activities and always monitor their movement,” she advised.

Also, Mr Yinusa Abidemi, the Head of the school, said that teaching every child about sex education, especially children with autism should start at early age.

“There is need to teach them about non-sensitive parts of the body with interactive games by pointing to specific body parts.

“Music has always been a creative way to get children involved in learning, try to sing some songs together with them about parts of their body.

“Teach them how to prevent them from any harassment, because they take advantage of them, especially when they are alone,” he said.

Abidemi said it was important that sexuality be presented to children in a positive and gradual way.

“Each child is unique with different abilities and learning styles; so parents, caregivers or teachers should understand each child’s abilities,” he said.

The Director of the movie entitled Sometime in September, Mr. Eyaba Emmanuel, has called for more advocacy and awareness of the Autism Spectrum Disorders.

ASD, popularly known as “autism,” is a developmental mental disorder characterised by social-communication challenges and restricted repetitive behaviour, activities and interests.

Emmanuel said this at the premiere of the movie in Abuja to commemorate the World Autism Awareness Day celebrated annually on April 2.

The ASD advocacy movie, which premiered at the Silverbird Galleria, featured top Nollywood stars Segun Arinze, Henshaw Emmanuel, Eve Esin and others.

The story plot is about Koko and Henshaw, a young happy couple with good job and other good things of life, but however, have a child, Dan with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

When the child was supposed to speak as a child he could not speak, and was unable to understand anything.
It got to a point when Koko and Henshaw felt like giving up on the usefulness of the child.

He said the movie, an advocacy film seeks to rally support and care for patients of ASD and also raise a voice against the common practice of stigmatising autistic children, and how they can be successfully managed by their families.

He noted that there were many Nigerian families like Koko and Henshaw (characters played in the movie), who needed to be educated and encouraged that autism was not a sentence to useless life.

“I have spoken with a lot of parents who have children with autism and I realised that they were really passing through a lot of pains taking care of them.

“In some quarters, some see autistic children as witches and evil, and some parents

even go as far as abandoning such children.

“They are our children and we need to show them love, patience and care for them to be happy and become what they want to become in life,” he advised.

It is to encourage member states of the UN to take measures to raise awareness about children with autism throughout the world.

The Chief host of the event,Mrs Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita,Head of Service of the Federation, advised that proper management was vital for the happiness of victims and their families,since there were no prescribed medical cure for autism.

“An autistic child needs the full attention of their parents to be able to cope in the society,and that is the only way autism can be handled.

“It is not their faults that they are in that condition,so they need to be totally accepted by the society,especially their families.

“Schools and other public places should show understanding and patience to autistic children no matter how special their needs are,”she urged.

NAN reports that government functionaries,celebrities and entertainment stakeholders were present at the event.
(NAN)

Today is the 2nd of April, and so some of you may know that also means it is World Autism Awareness Day. Autism Awareness day was launched 9 years ago to raise awareness and conversation about the people living with autism around the globe. with this in mind, I have decided to share my own personal experience with autism.

Before getting to my own personal journey of loving and knowing someone on the autistic spectrum, I think it’s important to first describe what it is to those of you reading who are less familiar. Essentially, autism is a social development disorder which affects the cognitive, communicative and interactive ability of the brain. People with autism struggle with heightened sensory stimulation and need a lot of attention and support from their parents, teachers and siblings to ensure they can lead the most productive and happy life possible. Raising awareness is not the main goal at this point–understanding is, and even more important–acceptance. So this Autism Awareness Day I ask for all of you, to appreciate, love on, or simply accept those living with autism.

How has autism personally affected my life?

In 2004, my mum called my sisters and me into her bedroom. With the composure only a mother can have, she told us that our baby brother, Fewa, had ‘special needs’. While my sisters asked questions, all I could do was think about what this would mean for me, the already overindulged, youngest of three girls. Thankfully, my selfishness quickly wore off and Fewa quickly became the centre of our family. The role of an older sister always entails some sort of responsibility. However, the role of an older sister to an autistic sibling is a great deal more work. At first, it seemed like every day with him was a challenge, especially for my mother. I remember seeing my mum helping Fewa with simple tasks like brushing his teeth, helping him to get dressed, or feeding him lunch, with each day ultimately ending in exhaustion. Our family has been so blessed to have help from carers, but no one can deny the resilience my mother has had raising Fewa. It is the thing I most respect about her.

Every day, I see him becoming more independent. Our relationship is becoming less one-sided; I can truly say that we are friends. Fewa doesn’t need anyone’s sympathy. He is the most genuine and caring person I know. This is probably why I have never seen Fewa’s autism as necessarily and totally negative, it is a unique characteristic that adds to the complexity of the person that he is

I am not naïve or unrealistic. I certainly have some gnawing worries about the future. Fewa will always need support of some kind. At age sixteen he still requires 24 hour help. I would say that the biggest misconception about autism is that people who have it are socially inept geniuses – Rainman, anyone? Yes, that is true for some autistic people, but there is a reason the official term is “autism spectrum disorder”. It is a spectrum, and it can range from children who are not able to speak at all to children who can go to normal schools.

No matter what I do, I need to build my life with Fewa in mind. My parents won’t be around forever, and his care and well-being will become the responsibility of me and my sisters. It is true that consideration for Fewa will always affect the decisions I make in my life. Despite this, Fewa is by no means a burden. These worries do not reduce the immense love I have for my brother who has brought so much joy and shown me the purest form of love. To quote The Bard, “Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.” It is Fewa’s unconditional love that has shaped me into the woman I am today – a sister, a teacher, a carer and a best friend.